The project, which is now producing 350 million cubic feet of gas a day (mmscfd) and 10,000 barrels a day (bpd) of condensate, was delivered 33% below the initial cost estimate, BP said.

BP group CEO Bob Dudley said: “The longstanding partnerships we have in Egypt allowed us to fast-track Atoll’s development and deliver first gas only 33 months after discovery.”

The Atoll Phase One involved the recompletion of the original Atoll exploration well to a producing well as well as drilling of two more production wells.

BP North Africa regional president Hesham Mekawi said: “Atoll is our first major project in Egypt to be delivered in 2018, following the West Nile Delta Taurus and Libra project and then Zohr last year.”

Production from the Atoll gas field is being exported to the existing onshore West Harbor gas processing plant.

Separately, the governments of Mauritania and Senegal have signed Inter-Government Cooperation Agreement (ICA), allowing the development of BP-operated Tortue/Ahmeyim gas project through cross-border unitization.

Located offshore on the border between Mauritania and Senegal, the Tortue/Ahmeyim gas field is estimated to contain 15 trillion cubic feet of gas resources.

The ICA allows the development of the Tortue/Ahmeyim gas field with a 50%-50% initial split of resources and revenues.

BP and its project partners including Kosmos Energy expects to make final investment decision (FID) for the Greater Tortue project by the end of 2018, with production scheduled to commence in 2021.